Freedom in God

        Some may ask how we can still be free if we totally submit ourselves to God. Wouldn't we become constrained by him? Let me say that it is God who gave us the free will in the first place so that we may choose to do whatever. If you believe that God is controlling you, you have the power to break loose any time. The fact is that God doesn't control you ~ he only knows how to love. He has made us in such a way that we are free only when our will and his are in harmony. Another reason why you feel free after submitting to him ~ it's simply that you don't need to worry about what to do on your own anymore because God now shows the way. In reality, to be on you own is to be a lost slave to yourself. 

Be Renewed For the Lord

        This morning's Gospel reading at Mass was taken from Mark 2. Verses 22 & 23: "No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak... Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins... Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins."

        For the Lord to dwell in us, we must be new too. And Jesus is the renewer. We must ask him to renew us and then invite him to remain in us. I know that all youngsters are excited about new experiences. Do you remember riding your first new bike, trying on a pair of your new favorite shoes, or visiting the zoo for the first time? When Jesus renews us, we experience the same joy, only deeper and more personal. Be new to be fit for the Lord.  

Salvation Our Objective

        God's foremost will is to save all mankind. He can't help it because he is love. Therefore, we must make salvation our foremost goal too. Let us be compliant tools in God's hands, a pleasure for him to use, to save as many souls from perdition as possible. God's joy will be our joy too.

The Depth of Christ

        This morning before Mass began, I saw in my mind the infinite depth of Christ that I wanted to dive deep into it to search and explore, to listen, learn, and rest. Then I wanted to abandon myself, to let go and be totally open to his light, letting him heal and transform me. The beauty, profundity, and power of the depth of our Lord is what makes him so attractive.

Wonder of Wonders

        I was praying the Rosary while strolling through the house. I happened to look out one window and saw the towering oaks and pines, huge boulders, and the running creek among them. The scene was familiar, but the objects I saw struck me this time as wonders! Then I "saw" the greatest wonder of them all, the behind-the-scene creator of all these wonders, our God ~ he is especially wonderful because not only did he create us, he also loves us. How fortunate and blessed we are!  

Are You Shortsighted?

        A friend just passed away after a long illness. I did not know him well, but I did sense that he was a good person, loved the Lord, and I have no doubt that he is with Jesus right now. I may not be the next person to go, but we are all in line waiting for our turn to meet the Lord. This brings to mind the reality that so many adult people are totally occupied with how to live comfortably and safely each day in this life as if they're never going to die. The right thing to do should be taking care of our eternal destiny first and then living our present life as an appendage in our overall journey." Not following this order is being extreme shortsighted. 

To Live the Best Life

        Here's how: (1) Love God to the utmost and (2) trust in him to the utmost. Again, simple and logical. I just don't know of a better way.

     

      

Afraid of Jesus?

        This morning at Mass, I felt that Jesus was the most endearing person one could ever possibly meet. Then why are there so many who already knew something about him still do not approach him? Are they afraid of him? If so, why? 

        I believe that they are afraid, not because they haven't heard that God loves us, but because they are aware of their sins. We learn from the Gospels that all demons and evil spirits fled or begged for mercy when they were confronted with Jesus. In a similarly way, anyone in partial or total darkness do not feel comfortable in the presence of the Lord, who is the light. Ironically, these are precisely the people who need to know the Lord to become fearless. 

Chance of a Lifetime

        Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were banished from Paradise. Then God sent his only Son into the world to prepare the way for our return to the Father. All the necessary work for our salvation had been done. Now we're given another chance to obey God and be restored to the state of grace. It's all quite simple and logical. Do not miss this chance of a lifetime.

Give God Your Heart

        It's not always easy for us to exercise our God-given free will to choose to do God's will, but we can let him have our heart first. Once the Lord possesses our heart, he will cleanse it until it's all pure. With a pure heart, all our thoughts become pure, and our words and deeds become pure as well. So, give God a precious gift, your heart, and he will reward you amply. 

Union with God

        It seems that relationship with God is what I've been led to talk about. We saw the Lord first as our center and then as our shepherd. The closest relationship with him is, of course, union. Here's a quick recap. In union, God and us dwell in each other and we become inseparably one. His love is the binding agent. It's through the Holy Eucharist that this is made possible. The Lord is free to transform us in any way he wishes. Let's again realize that we are not in union with just someone, but with GOD, who is Love, the one who died for our sins! When you are in union with God, you are already in heaven!

A Special Relationship

        Today's Gospel Acclamation, John 10:27: "My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord. I knew them, and they follow me." In Reading 1 from 1 Samuel 3, when God called Samuel, Samuel learned to say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening." I see this relationship between God and us. The Lord knows us. When he calls, we hear him, and we listen and follow. There is an intimacy and a oneness here, which make the relationship so special and beautiful.

Jesus the Center

        The center is a most important point, the pivot around which things revolve or the focus of what surrounds it.  It is a point of stability or a source of influence. This morning before Mass, I was thinking how blessed we were to have Jesus as our center. He draws us toward him with love, guides us along the way with his teachings, fills the void of our lives, and we become safe and secure in him. After receiving him in the Holy Eucharist, he becomes the center within us as well. 

How Death Affects Us

        For those who know God, death presents no fear, for they see it as a turning point in the life of the everlasting soul and look forward to going on the better part of their journey beyond death. For those who do not know the Lord, death could be a problem for they are heading into the unknown, although they may still be saved through God's mercy if they were good people while living. But for those who choose not to believe or reject God outright, death will bring the greatest shock of their lives.

Created for Obedience

        The Gospel reading at Mass was taken from Mark 1. An unclean spirit in a man came out of him after Jesus commanded him to do so. When I heard that part read, it just became so clear to me that we were created to obey God; therefore, to disobey him is a sin, something horrible. In fact, rebellion against God is sure to doom oneself! Let's steer our free will in the right direction always.  

The True Free Spirit

        A true free spirit is not someone who does whatever he feels like doing. In fact, such a person is a slave to himself, for he just follows himself who may altogether be lost. A true free spirit is one who follows the Holy Spirit, who is Truth. It's by following the truth that one is lead to freedom.

On Preserving Internal Peace

        Peace is what God wants us to have. Those who do not obey God do not have internal peace and as a result cause the world to lose its external peace. Those who obey the Lord have internal peace despite the lack of external peace around them. Internal peace is to be protected and cherished.

        Here are some tips on keeping internal peace. Avoid participating in any sinful activities or indulging in sinful pleasures. There will be a big price to pay later for a few moments of such enjoyment ~ it's just not worth it! In fact, detach from all things of the world even if they're not harmful, for all things pass. Aim for eternity. Basically, if your thoughts are peaceful, you will have peace. So it all goes back to loving and living in the Lord. If God truly dwells in you, then you'll have peace. 

         

Be like Martha or Mary?

        We are all familiar with the story of Martha and Mary. (If you are not, read Luke 10:38-42.) This morning I heard two men discussing the football game they watched on TV yesterday. I could tell that both were enthusiastic fans by the way they shared what they saw in the game. I realized that I had changed because I felt that I'd rather sit at the feet of the Lord and listen to him talk ~ in other words, I wanted to be like Mary. Of course, at times we need to be like Martha too. Then is it better for us to be more Marylike and less Marthalike? Finally, I realized that I can be like Mary even when I am busy like Martha. I'll simply offer the many things I need to do up as prayers to God for the love of him.